Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yes, another soup recipe!  This was so packed with flavor and just the right amount of spice, it was perfect for an unseasonably chilly day like we had today.  The recipe was by no means difficult and made the house smell fantastic.  I debated over using premade tortilla strips or frying up my own and I'm glad I chose to fry my own.  They only took a few minutes and were delicious!  My husband is a fan of spicy foods and he gave this one a "thumbs up" and said I can make it again any time.  I'm not as big of a spicy food fan, but this soup was spicy enough to make you sniffle, but didn't make your mouth burn, so it was just right!

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Spicy Crisps

Recipe courtesy of Relish!

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 3/4 c. beef broth
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder, plus more for spicy crisps
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 10 oz. Rotel tomatoes with chilies, undrained
• 4 6-inch corn tortillas
• 4 T. canola oil

For garnish

• 2 avocados, chopped
• 1/2 cup cheese
• sour cream

Directions

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
• Drop in the chicken breasts and boil for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 
• Drain chicken in colander and let cool. 
• Shred or cube the meat. 
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. 
• Add olive oil and sauté onion and garlic in oil. 
• Pour into the medium pot you used for chicken. 
• Add beef and chicken broth, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, jalapeno(to taste), salt, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and chicken. 
• Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• In the skillet, heat the canola oil until hot. 
• Cut tortillas in narrow strips and fry. 
• Sprinkle with salt and a little chili powder. 
• When done, place on paper towels. 
• Place half of the strips in bowls. 
• Fill with the hot soup. 
• Garnish with more tortilla strips, avocado slices and cheese. 

Beef Fajitas with a Creamy Avocado Sauce

When planning of my menu for the week, I try to think of things we haven't had in a long time and rotate what I make.  One thing that popped into my mind was fajitas!  We did have a lot of chicken in the freezer, but we have red meat so rarely that it sounded like the best bet.  For this recipe, I used tenderloin steaks which made the fajitas just fall apart and so flavorful!  I will make this recipe again in a heartbeat.  The creamy avocado sauce was PERFECT.  It was easy, fresh with the flavor of the cucumber and lime juice and had a good kick from the cumin.  I would use this sauce for nachos, tacos or fajitas....or just to dunk some tortilla chips in!

Beef Fajitas
Recipe courtesy of Relish!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 pounds tenderloin steak, cut into cubes
• 1 avocado , seeded, peeled and coarsely chopped 
• 1/2 English cucumber , coarsely chopped 
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 white onion , thinly sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded, cored and thinly sliced

Directions

• In large bowl combine oil, garlic and onion, oregano, pepper, and salt; set aside.
• Add meat to oil mixture; toss to coat evenly.
• Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, for Avocado Sauce, in food processor combine avocado, cucumber, mint, sour cream, lime juice, water, salt, and cumin.
• Cover and process until nearly smooth, stopping to scrape sides as necessary.
• Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Heat large pan to medium heat.
• Remove the meat from the marinade.
• Cook meat for 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees F), turning to brown evenly.
• Place the onion and peppers into another pan on medium high heat, adding oil and salt and pepper. 
• Cook the onion and peppers until tender.
• Serve with the avocado sauce, grilled vegetables and toppings of your choice.  We used shredded cheese, cilantro and sour cream.